Inevitable Love
by gurjhime
Summary: Rei/Minako full summary inside
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** I'm postponing my other rei/minako fic because this idea appeals to me so much more!

**A brief Summary**- In thsi fic, it is after the last Act of PGSM. Usagi brings the world back to how it was, but none of the other senshi (like the beginning of season 2 in the anime) remember their lives as senshi, or each other. With rei/minako as the main focus of course :D

Will rei and minako still fall in love without remembering each other?

Enjoy :D

Chapter 1: Memories Absent

"_... Reiko..." _

_A broken whisper._

_Rei leaned her head downward, and then there was something soft on her lips. Something heavenly._

"_Are you sure you want this?" Rei asked after her lips were freed._

_But hot breath lingered, and the close proximity of their lips allowed them to brush._

_Rei felt smooth arms around her neck tense._

"_Please..." that angelic voice pleaded her, "I want... this."_

_And there was no way she could deny the genuine emotion behind that voice._

_So she claimed those lips again and wiped away those tears._

_But who would wipe away hers?_

Rei's eyes fluttered open from her slumber. She twisted in habit to her bedside table and frowned at the time.

She felt strangely melancholic today, and she couldn't remember what she had dreamed about because she was pretty sure it was the reason for her mood.

She did remember feeling both happy and incredibly sad at the same time, though.

Strange dream.

She rubbed her eye and threw her legs over the small single bed. School started in an hour and she had to sweep the shrine steps before going, as well as make her lunch and get ready.

Maybe because she felt no motivation that morning after her odd dream she took longer than usual to sweep the steps and she had to walk faster than usual to the bus stop as a result.

The bus was packed like every other morning, and Rei recognised a girl with strange hair look at her the whole way.

She ignored it and got off at her stop.

Those eyes watched her the until that bus turned a corner.

--

--

Usagi smiled sadly, staring at her ice cream without eating it.

Mamoru studied his girlfriend quietly before nudging her soldier, "you not eating? The world is coming to an end."

"Mamoru!" Usagi elbowed his rib as he chuckled, "you shouldn't joke about things like that!"

"Hai hai," Mamoru waved a hand and smiled when Usagi leaned on his shoulder with a sigh.

His smile grew when Usagi licked her ice cream.

"Usagi," he started gently, "don't think too much about it. I'm sure they'll remember soon."

Usagi nodded, taking another lick, "you know, I saw Rei-chan on the bus this morning."

Mamoru's arm came around her shoulders and he rubbed her with assurance.

"And... Ami-chan and Mako-chan talked to me in class... and Minako-chan is getting even more popular..."

She wiped a tear form her left eye and licked her ice cream cone again.

"Maybe its better if they don't remember," Usagi continued as Mamoru pulled her even closer, "This way, they have normal lives..."

Mamoru put both his arms around her now.

"I mean," Usagi continued to ramble, "Ami-chan doesn't have to be distracted from her studies... and Mako-chan... doesn't..." Now she cried. She cried and her ice cream cone fell to the ground.

Mamoru soothed her as best as he could and she snuggled into his chest and gripped his shirt.

"I miss them," Usagi said through a tight throat.

Mamoru wiped away her tears and cupped her cheek, and she blushed.

"Usagi," he said softly, "you can still be their friend without the whole senshi thing."

"You're right!" Usagi bounced back with determination, "I'll get my friends back!"

Mamoru sighed at her; he could hardly believe she had just been crying herself silly.

"Ne, Mamoru?" she asked him like and angel.

"Hmm," he acknowledged her and felt her arms take hostage of his left hand.

"Can I have another ice cream?"

And Usagi silently told herself that even though her friends didn't remember her, they were still her destined best friends and so she would get them back.

Memories or no memories.

For now, she would just have her ice cream, and reward Mamoru with a kiss.

--

--

Ami wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, and she was embarrassed when she hit into someone as a result.

"A-Ah, g-gomen," she bowed and bent to pick up her book bag.

"It's alright," came a slightly terse reply.

Ami's bag was snatched from the ground before she could pick it up herself, and then handed to her.

"I didn't see where I was going, no need to apologise" the girl with a frown said opposite of her.

"Th-thank you," Ami found her extremely beautiful and felt slightly intimidated by the girls frown.

"Ami-chan!" Ami almost jumped at the casual greeting that came from behind.

"Tsukino-san," Ami greeted Usagi who smiled brightly at her.

"Who's your friend?" Usagi asked the girl across from them.

"Uh...A-Ano..." Ami stuttered feeling overwhelmed.

"Hino Rei," Rei did not know why she even bothered.

She never cared to be social, but something about these two... felt nice.

They felt... familiar.

"Tsukino Usagi," Usagi smiled and then grabbed Ami's arm and pulled her closer into the new conversation.

"And this is my friend Mizuno Ami."

Ami had never had anyone call her a friend, and so the flush on her cheeks was excusable.

"Nice to meet you," Rei was extremely surprised to actual _mean_ those words, "but I'm in a hurry."

Usagi smiled, "nice to meet you too, Rei-chan."

_Rei-chan?_

Rei just nodded; surprised again that she let someone she barely knew call her with such familiarity.

"Let's go Ami-chan!" Usagi started pulling Ami with her.

"Wh-where?" Ami asked, perplexed.

"There's this place," Usagi said with a bright smile, "I'm sure you'll love it! It's called The Crown."

--

--

They weren't remembering anything.

Usagi had befriended them, treated them like she always had before, and they still did not remember.

She made it her personal project to get close to them, and it worked. Makoto and Ami were easier since they went to the same school, but Rei had been the challenge.

Eventually, after going to the shrine a few times, inviting her out and then exchanging numbers, even Rei gave in and started to be her friend.

She wanted them to remember, but that was selfish of her.

Because wasn't Usagi the one who wished they would forget in the first place? Forget the pain of being her senshi?

And Usagi was not stupid. Well, not _that_ stupid. She understood that the reason she could so easily make them her friends now was because of the connection they shared as senshi in the past.

She had tried hinting to them about the past, and it never worked.

Maybe they weren't supposed to remember?

And Usagi was unable to get a hold of Minako because Minako was a super famous teen idol who was too busy.

So Usagi came to a final conclusion.

They would remember if they wanted to, or if fate wanted them to.

At least Rei, Makoto, and Ami were her best friends again. And Mamoru was by her side, the only one who remembered.

It was like old times; except instead of going to The Crown, they made it a habit to visit Rei and help her out at the shrine.

Usagi wondered once that maybe if she took them to the old senshi room, they might remember. She had taken Ami first, but Ami didn't see the secret door.

Some newspapers she found still had images of them fighting Youma, or stories on the mysterious senshi who protected the city, and even articles wondering when they would show up next considering there was no 'supernatural activity' for over a year.

Usagi had brought up the conversation casually.

"What do you think of those Sailor senshi?" she had asked.

Makoto had said she liked their outfits.

Ami had said it was scientifically incorrect for them to exist.

And Rei, Rei just shrugged.

They still didn't remember.

Usagi had turned 16 now, and that was almost two years of her friends not remembering.

Even though they were good friends, they weren't the same as before.

Would they ever be?

For Usagi knew they weren't that close.

She knew about Makoto's loneliness from being an orphan, but Makoto never said anything about it.

She knew about Ami's problems with her mother, but Ami never said anything about it.

And she knew about Rei's relationship with her father, but Rei never said anything about it.

--

--

"Oh my god!" Makoto had declared rather loudly from the couch in the shrine's small living room.

"What?" Rei uncharacteristically rushed form the small kitchen to see what the problem was.

"Aino Minako!" Usagi cheered on her favourite singer.

"Huh?" Rei, realising the situation wasn't actually as bad as she thought, was now confused.

"Rei-chan, you're so lucky!" Usagi whined and reclined back into the sofa with a sigh.

"Lucky? I don't understand," Rei crossed her arms and frowned.

"Very lucky," Makoto agreed.

Ami who had been watching television and studying history at the same time fixed her glasses to explain.

"Aino Minako, the idol, she just revealed on the talk show we were watching that she's transferring to T.A. Girl's Academy."

Rei frowned, "my school?"

The three opposite of her nodded.

Rei's eyes suddenly went large, and they all stared at her, wondering what caused the change until Rei spun around.

"The food!"

She had left the food to almost burn, but luckily she saved it in time.

--

--

The feeling of forgetting something important.

It lingered within them all.

--

--

It was all over the news, and it amused Minako to no end.

She was only going to a school so she could take a break from being an idol and try to live life as a normal school girl.

It was Sugao's idea. He said it would promote her image and he stressed that she shouldn't give up the opportunity to be a normal girl.

Go to school, make friends, and take a break from the world of an idol.

Well the reason this amused Minako was because no one would see her a normal girl at her school.

She was still famous, so anyone who might become her friend was most likely doing it so they could say with pride, 'my friend is Aino Minako!'

When she said that to Sugao, he frowned and replied, 'that's why you're going to a _prestigious_ and _private_ all girls school, Minako-chan.'

Girls who went to this school were apparently all rich and privileged.

Despite it all though, Minako was excited to go to school.

Her parents who both lived abroad in America agreed with Sugao.

What the news and media didn't know about Minako was that she had almost died from a brain tumour, and so her parents and Sugao wanted her to live the life she fought for to fullest.

She couldn't argue with them there.

It was in her nature to enjoy life, and she was glad she had a life to do so.

--

--

Rei sighed.

Who would believe a miko of the Shinto faith went to a catholic girl's school and even came to a catholic church?

But here she was, simply staring at her mother's grave and finding comfort there.

Like every time she thought of her mother, she wondered how different life would be if her mother never passed away.

How much nicer.

She put down some lilies, her mother's favourite flowers. There was a bouquet identical to hers already on the grave.

Her father had obviously been here.

Today was actually her mother's birthday, not her death anniversary. That had been two months ago.

She walked inside the building and found the familiar face of the priest reading a book.

She liked the kind man, he always wished her well.

"Sakama-san," she addressed, him, "is there anything I can do to help before I leave?"

He closed his book with a smile and stood up as she bowed her head respectfully at him.

"Your father was here," he said as he started to walk through a hall and towards the church hall.

Rei scowled and decided not to answer.

"These flowers need to be taken into the hall," Sakama gestured to a few boxes, "Please come to the drawing room when you are finished."

Rei nodded and turned to the boxes. They were large, but light.

Entering the hall, she was very surprised to see a girl around her age sitting and praying. She would never think that a girl her age would come to a church on the morning of a non-school day.

She looked angelic and her presence was pleasant and calming. And familiar...

Rei flushed.

She shook her head and placed the box down before she left to get another.

When she was back outside, the presence lingered.

"May I help you?" That voice made Rei turn around quickly and freeze.

They both seemed to stare at each other rather intently and Rei coughed when she noticed the girl get slightly nervous under her gaze.

"If you want," she said with a small smile.

Minako was surprised this beautiful girl apparently did not know who she was, and what was with that look? But she can't only blame the other girl, because Minako herself had stared. She was... attracted.

With Minako's help, Rei was done quickly and she put the last of the boxes inside with a sense of satisfaction.

"Do you help out here often?" Minako asked. She liked being around this girl, even though all they had done was move some flower boxes together.

Rei shrugged, "not really."

They exited the hall and Minako just walked with her towards the drawing room, wanting to talk more to the girl who didn't know of her.

Rei opened the door to the room and the priest smiled at them.

"Great timing, I just finished making some tea. Thank you for your help, Hino-san."

Rei nodded, "no problem." She added afterwards, "She also helped."

The priest thanked Minako as well and put a cup of tea out for her too. He also put some cookies on the small table there and insisted they be finished as he left them alone.

"So," Minako started, "what did you come for? Not many girls our age come to church during their free time."

Rei actually smiled, a beautiful smile, and chuckled, "to pay respect... What about you?"

Minako blew on her tea and watched Rei dip a cookie into her own.

"To think about things."

Rei paused in her chew, where had she heard that before? This felt like... déjà vu.

"Think about things?" Rei echoed her.

Minako nodded, she had never met a girl since she became an idol who didn't know her.

Rei's head started to hurt a little but she hid it and just settled for a frown, "Have I met you before?"

Minako shook her head, "no."

Rei took a sip of her tea and shook her head quickly, the headache left.

"Rei," she put a hand out and smiled at the girl across form her, "Hino Rei."

Minako shook the offered hand; a nice sensation at the touch tickled her body.

"Aino Minako."

Rei then took her hand back and lifted her cup to her lips with both hands.

That name rung a bell...

Then she noticed a magazine that just happened to be on the table.

She reached out and pulled the magazine to her face and then looked at Minako, "Oh. Is that you?"

Minako giggled, that look was cute. "The one and only. I've never met a girl who didn't know me before."

Giving a small apologetic smile, Minako somehow knew what Rei was going to say.

And she was right.

"I don't watch much TV."

--

--

________________________________________________________________________________

--

--

"Why did you lie about being the princess?" Rei demanded from her leader.

Minako had come to see her at the shrine.

"To protect Usagi!" Minako shot back.

Rei scowled at Minako. It was late at night, and her crows were on alert in the tree nearby.

"You could have gotten hurt," Rei said a little more calmly.

She didn't want the shrine elders to wake up after all.

Minako felt the miko's grip on her shoulder as she was turned around so they were face to face.

And very close.

"There's something bothering you," Rei's eyes turned gentle now, "so why don't you speak your mind?"

"Why do you care?" Minako's eyes were stinging. Rei should not care, because then when Minako dies, she'll suffer.

Rei was angry now and almost roughly pushed Minako against the tree.

"I don't know," she said with narrowed eyes, "but I do care!"

Minako's lips trembled, she felt trapped between Rei's intense gaze and the tree behind her.

"You shouldn't care..." she whispered.

Then she felt Rei's lips on her own, hard and demanding, but also soft and inviting.

This was her first kiss in this life, and Rei's mouth was robbing her of her senses.

It felt good, too good.

This was wrong, Minako was being selfish. Rei would only be hurt.

Minako pushed her off, tears streaming down her face. She looked at Rei's hurt eyes briefly before she turned away from the miko and ran.

Rei watched her disappear, feeling hopeless. She touched her lips before she made a fist and swung it wildly at the tree.

She was just so confused.

--

--

"Get surgery."

Minako turned in shock to the intruding figure.

She was more shocked that Rei knew about her condition than the fact that Rei had somehow gotten into her hotel room.

"I don't want to," Minako turned her attention back to taking off her shoes. "I could die. I want to live what time I have left."

This answer did not soothe Rei the slightest.

"If there's a chance, take it!" Rei said with anger, "The Minako I know would not give up."

Minako felt her eyes sting, "I could die, Rei! And the princess-"

"Forget about the princess!" Rei cut her off, "this is about you, Minako!"

--

--

Rei was sweeping the shrine steps with no enthusiasm. She gave up and sat down on the bench nearby and just stared at the flowers across from her.

Of course she was thinking of Minako.

Suddenly, she felt the object of her thoughts nearby and turned in time to see the idol approach her and sit next to her on the bench.

Their shoulders were touching and they were awkward.

"I'm getting the surgery."

Rei's eyes opened wide and she snapped in attention.

Minako turned to her and fidgeted with her hands before letting out a shaky breath.

"I'm scared, Rei."

Rei's hand came up and rested on Minako's in comfort.

"Of course you are," she said, her thumb caressing the top of Minako's hand.

Minako moved to her second in command and hugged her, leaning her head on the shoulder.

Rei went stiff at first before she accepted and relaxed into the hug.

Her free hand came up to brush Minako's hair and tuck it behind her ear.

--

--

"See you tomorrow?" Rei walked Minako up to her limo that evening. They had just spent three hours in the shrine together, Minako had demanded Rei cook her dinner.

"Un," Minako smiled at her best friend, "ja, Reiko."

Rei was about to protest her nickname, but her words died in her throat when she felt soft lips leave a kiss on her cheek.

Before she could comprehend what happened, Minako had closed the door of her limo and the car was already driving off.

She was left to blush.

--

--

"Tomorrow's the surgery," Minako was soaking wet from the rain outside and shivering.

"Tomorrow?" Rei ushered her in and wrapped a towel around her shoulders. "I thought you said it was next week!"

Minako's eyes watered and she tightened the towel around her body, "I lied... I didn't want- I just..."

Minako stopped talking when Rei grabbed her into a tight embrace.

"It's okay," she murmured to the idol and rubbed her back gently.

She felt Minako grasp onto the front of her miko robes and sob silently into her neck.

Rei felt tears in her eyes as well, but she had to be strong for Minako right now, so she forced them down.

Moving slightly back from the embrace, Rei brought a hand up to wipe Minako's tears.

"Reiko," Minako said with a visible effort to try and stop her tears, "Promise me you won't be sad if..."

Rei clucked her tongue, "don't even talk about it."

Minako's tears had stopped now and the two sat in silence as the sound of rain outside echoed on the pavement and windows.

"Come on," Rei stood up and pulled Minako up too, "let's get you into dry clothes."

Minako nodded and rubbed her shivering arms as she watched Rei get her some dry clothes. Accepting the clothes, she turned to the bathroom to change.

Before she slid the door open however, she turned back to find Rei watching her intently.

She bit her bottom lip as they made eye contact and with firm resolve she dropped the clothes to the ground and hugged Rei closely to her form.

Rei's own arms were instantly around Minako.

"I just don't want to hurt you," Minako said burying her head into the fire senshi's shoulder.

Rei was stroking her hair, "I know you don't... but..."

Minako pulled back at Rei's hesitation and their faces were incredibly close.

She knew it was coming, and the look in Rei's eyes actually gave her more comfort than anything else in the world.

When their lips touched in a gentle kiss, Minako sighed and let tears roll down her eyes again.

Rei's hands were cupping her cheeks as they continued to kiss, her thumbs wiping away Minako's tears as they leaked.

Minako followed her heart now, ignoring her logic.

Their kisses grew deeper and Minako started to tug at the front of Rei's robe to pull them towards the small single bed.

Minako brushed her tongue against Rei's lip but paused when the back of her knees touched the bed.

Rei's breath was mingling with hers as their clouded eyes stared at one another.

"I'll hurt," Rei said, dropping a kiss to Minako's' lips, "because I love you..."

They were young, maybe to young to confess love, but with the possibility that Minako might die during her surgery tomorrow haunting their minds, Minako fell with her back on the mattress and with Rei on top of her.

They were kissing again, and Minako's tears were leaking as well.

When Rei broke away to caress her cheek, she felt tears of her own start to escape her eyes.

But their tears were no longer sad. They were happy, even if it was only for tonight.

"... Reiko..." Minako whispered to her.

Rei leaned her head down for another kiss. Minako felt heavenly and soft. She was so addictive.

"Are you sure you want this?" Rei asked after they broke apart again.

But hot breath lingered, and the close proximity of their lips allowed them to brush.

Rei felt those smooth arms that clung around her neck tense at the question.

"Please..." that angelic voice of Minako pleaded her, "I want... this."

_I want you._

And there was no way she could deny the genuine emotion behind that voice.

So she claimed those lips again and wiped away those tears.

But who would wipe away hers?

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N** _Thanks for the reviews!

Enjoy :D

_She was crying._

_Why was she crying?_

_Rei did not like it. In fact, she hated it._

_She wanted to take all the pain away, and so she did exactly that._

_The only way she knew how._

"_Minako," Rei said, her hand was hovering over Minako's soft skin._

_But then she couldn't think of anything else to say, so she didn't. She felt pathetic._

_Rei was lying on her back, naked. And Minako was naked too, cuddled into her side. _

_And she just wouldn't' stop crying. _

_Rei looked at her alarm clock and frowned, Minako's surgery was in three hours. They really didn't want to get up._

_Her shoulder was wet from where Minako's head lay, and she felt a hand timidly go into her hair and stroke her scalp. _

"_I love your hair," Minako said._

_Of all the things to say, that was the last thing Minako said to Rei before forcing herself out of the bed. _

_She dressed in Rei's clothes and gave Rei a final, chaste kiss before smiling and pinching her nose._

"_Thank you," Minako muttered since Rei wasn't talking. _

_Rei grabbed Minako's wrist, she didn't want her to leave and she had this sick feeling of dread in her stomach. _

"_No." she said and offered the best smile she could, "thank you."_

Rei groaned, her head was pounding with pain and she felt pathetic.

It wasn't a physical pathetic, but an emotional pathetic. She felt useless, and she was trying to remember what images in her dream made her feel so.

Her blurry vision focused on a white ceiling above her.

Wait, her room wasn't white... it was pale yellow.

"You're awake!" A nurse who had been next to her mopping the floor gave her a smile.

Rei's confused eyes made the nurse smile in assurance and pour her a glass of water.

"You were hit by a car," she explained, "you've been unconscious for sixteen hours."

Rei's eyes bulged and she accepted the water with a wince, her throat was dry and her lips chapped, she couldn't seem to find her voice.

The doctor came in then, he noticed she was moving to sit up with the nurse's aid and gave Rei an equally bright smile.

"You're awake, Hino-san, how are you feeling?"

Rei's head hurt and she felt pathetic. But other than that,

"I feel fine."

"That's good, do you remember anything?"

Rei sipped her water. She remembered soft skin.

"No... I remember I was walking home from school..."

The doctor gave her a frown, "you saved a young girl from being hit by a car and took the hit."

Rei tried to remember, "I did?"

The doctor frowned more, "do you remember your name?"

"Hino Rei."

"How old are you?"

"I turn seventeen in March," Rei said.

"Do you know what month it is?"

Rei's headache suddenly vanished and she blinked, "February."

The doctor sighed before smiling weekly, "good to know."

"Wait," Rei put the water on the table nearby and thought hard, "did the girl have an orange skirt?"

"Yes," the doctor smiled encouragingly, "she did."

Rei sighed in relief, she remembered now.

"You're a hero," the doctor chuckled, "the girl and her family have been waiting since yesterday."

Rei didn't appreciate the term 'hero', really. She had sensed danger while she was walking and was just being human when she pushed the girl out of the way.

"The car that hit you was a drunk driver," the doctor continued to fill her in as he started getting out a small flashlight to check her eyes, "You were hit by its front, and rolled into the windshield. Then the car was stopped when it hit a tree."

Rei was suddenly aware of an extreme pain down her right side. Who drunk and drove at 4 in the afternoon on a Wednesday? The idiot.

"You fractured a rib Hino-san," the doctor was satisfied with her health as he nodded in approval, "you will have to stay in the hospital for at least 24 hours before you are free to be discharged. You also have a concussion."

Rei decided that was why her head hurt so much.

It had nothing to do with that soft skin in a dream she couldn't even remember.

--

--

School was... vanilla.

Minako had always found vanilla to be nice, but not exciting. She preferred mango. She could even settle for strawberry, but mango sounded better. It tasted better, too.

The classes here were smaller than public school classes.

It had been two days and Minako was the centre of attention which didn't seem to be going away. It was all well, she liked being the centre of attention, but sometimes even she liked a break.

All the rich girls at the school were just as desperate to be idol Aino Minako's friend as anyone else. Sugao lied; she couldn't be normal or herself, she was still an idol here.

Minako didn't really mind though, she was more than used to people fawning around her.

There were also a few people who seemed nice enough, and not that bothered by her status.

Lots of the younger girls had asked for her autograph or for a picture.

The uniforms were cute, and class was exactly as she imagined it to be: boring.

That was normal enough, right?

Vanilla.

Couldn't she at least have some sprinkles?

Lunch was expensive in the cafeteria but that wasn't an issue, after all, she had millions in her accounts waiting to be spent.

Even the _teachers_ sucked up to her because of her idol status.

The English teacher had requested an autograph for his niece. Likely story.

It was the beginning of period one on her third day when everything went from vanilla to mango.

Mango with extra sprinkles, whipped cream, and even a cherry on top.

A new student came in late that morning, you see.

Technically, they weren't new; they had been on absence for about a week according to the whispers and gossip of students.

Apparently the girl was anti-social.

But Minako never forgot the face or the name. It was the girl she had met just that Sunday at church.

_Hino Rei. _

She walked into math class with a bandage on her forehead and the slightest limp.

Many girls whispered at her entrance, creating stories about how she got her wounds, and Minako was speechless.

She rarely got speechless.

"Nice to have you back Hino-san," their math teacher smiled at her.

Rei bowed and then sat in the front row desk that was vacant.

She never noticed Minako for she never looked at any of her classmates as she simply pulled out a notebook and started writing.

Maybe no one else noticed, but Minako saw stiffness in her posture, and she was uncharacteristically curious and worried.

--

--

"Looks like we're classmates," Rei looked up from her lunch to wonder who was talking to her.

No one at school really did, you see.

She was in the middle of chewing and so finished quickly to swallow and greet the gorgeous girl who sat down next to her.

"Aino-san?"

Minako grinned, glad that Rei remembered her name.

"How are you?" Minako pulled out her hot bun and took a delicate bite.

Rei liked her presence, she felt warm in her stomach, and so decided to continue the conversation, "fine..."

Minako giggled, and bravely asked, "How'd you get the bandage?"

Rei never missed a beat as she swallowed again and replied, "I hit my head."

Minako wanted to know on what, but she kept to herself.

"So, how long have you been going to this school?"

"Since primary," Rei answered, "I didn't know you went here."

Minako was used to people knowing these things about her and so she had to refrain from frowning.

"As of three days ago, it was on the news."

Then Minako remembered how Rei had said she didn't watch much TV, and she felt childish for being annoyed.

"Oh," Rei surprisingly said, oblivious to Minako's annoyance. "I think I remember someone mention that to me..."

Rei frowned, where had she heard it before? Ah, that day at the shrine.

There was a ringing of church bells to signify the end of lunch and Rei let out an irritated sigh.

"Class time," she put her lunch away and stood up trying to hide the wince of pain it caused.

Minako nodded and looked around; she didn't exactly know where they were. She had kind of followed Rei.

They were in what seemed to be a garden, away from the school.

Rei's hair was nice in the afternoon sun.

Minako shook her head from the thought and got up from her seated position.

Why was she thinking such random things around Hino?

What was so special about her?

--

--

"What's she like?" Makoto asked as they tried to distract themselves from Usagi's amazing ability to eat two cake slices in the time span it took them to eat half of one.

Rei blinked, "huh?"

"Minako-chan!" Usagi said in a mouth full that was actually 'minwanko-sham'. But they understood what she said, surprisingly.

Rei put her cake down, her appetite a little lost. "She's... nice."

"Nice?" Makoto raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah," Rei explained, glad Usagi was done eating, "I've only talked to her a few times but she seems nice enough."

"You've talked to her?!" Usagi's eyes went twice their normal size.

"What did she say?" Ami asked but then blushed from her forwardness.

Rei chose not to tell them about the church, or about the fact that she believed they were on the way to a small friendship, because her friends were all fans and would probably demand-

"Can you get me an autograph?" Makoto and Usagi said at the same time while Ami blushed some more.

"No," Rei said, her stomach finding it okay to eat the cake again, "she gets asked for that stuff like every day."

Usagi pouted but Makoto and Ami seemed fine with the explanation.

"Introduce us!" Usagi whined.

Rei really did not know why she put up with Usagi, why she hung out with these girls whenever she had time, or why she didn't want to disappoint her friends by refusing them.

"Maybe," she said.

For some reason she couldn't explain, it was like she was meant to make Usagi happy... and it was confusing.

But Usagi's bright smile was totally worth it.

But the rant about Aino Minako's latest CD was not.

--

--

It felt immoral, that she was selfishly using the news of her saving a cute nine year old girl from a drunk driver to spend time with her dad.

Her father had done a few interviews with her and gone on another of their scheduled press dinners to advertise his heroic daughter.

Rei didn't like being called a 'hero', but she went along with it for her father.

She was about to yell at him when they were alone, but he said something to her as he dropped her off at the shrine in his private limo that evening before she had the chance.

"Rei," he said and put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm really proud of what you did to save that girl."

And Rei's angry words died in her throat, her father had never really been proud of her, or so she felt.

"And when I exploited your action," he explained gently, "it is true it makes me look good to the public eye, but it felt nice to... show you off."

Rei hugged her father for the first time in almost two years that night.

And when he drove off, she felt immoral because she was glad that the drunk driver had almost hit the girl.

So how was she a hero?

--

--

Minako was shocked.

Aghast, amazed, stupefied.

And in awe.

Hino Rei 'hit her head on something'? She failed to mention that 'something' to Minako.

Rei never bothered to reveal that she hit her head on the windshield of a speeding car that an idiotic drunken man almost drove into an innocent little girl.

This news made Minako like Rei even more. As a person, of course... as a... _friend_.

She was proud of her _friend_ and she was very attracted to the fact that Rei never boasted about saving a girl's life.

So that explained why Rei limped sometimes, or winced and touched her head, or grabbed her side in agony.

She had been hit by a car, rather forcefully.

And here she read the detailed report in the newspaper where she thought she would be reading upon the latest gossip involving her.

What surprised her further was the fact that Rei was Senator Hino's daughter. She certainly never mentioned that either.

There was so much about her Minako didn't know and wanted to know.

Rei was the flavour of mango times ten.

--

--

"I didn't know idols read the news," Rei actually joked, and Minako giggled in response.

Minako had brought up the topic casually at lunch.

Rei was obviously in a good mood, and she wondered why.

"Ah," Minako sighed dramatically, "I know a hero."

Then she paused in her giggles when Rei's smirk left her face.

There was an awkward silence.

"I'm no hero," Rei said finally.

"Yeah you are," Minako was confused by the sudden mood change.

Rei snorted. "And you're not a celebrity," she sarcastically remarked.

Minako frowned and fidgeted with her thumbs, biting her lip. This was new territory in their relationship. They had only been pleasant with each other so far.

"I'm not." Minako said finally.

Rei looked at her confused, "Minako-san," Rei said in a straight voice, "you are a famous singer. A _celebrity_."

"So I am," Minako grinned, "glad you've noticed."

Rei looked at her funny. It was adorable.

Minako sighed, "Just because I'm famous as an idol to other people, doesn't mean I see myself as one."

This was only sort of true, but Minako wanted Rei to not be so... frowning, even though it was cute.

Her smile was way sexier.

"O...kay..." Rei looked kind of lost.

"Look," Minako tried again, "everyone sees me as an idol all the time, but I like to pretend I'm not one often."

Rei then smiled a half-smile.

"You make strange sense."

Minako grinned, "You have to be strange to understand."

Rei was now smiling a full smile.

Sexy.

"My father and I aren't that close," Rei explained, "we rarely talk and we live separately."

Minako's grin faded a little at the brief sadness Rei allowed in her eyes.

"When I saved that girl and we talked... he said he was proud of me."

"..."

"I guess," Rei let out a sigh, "I feel guilty because after he said that, I was glad that drunk driver caused the accident. So how am I a hero?"

Minako was silent for awhile before she gave Rei a toothy smile, "Did you save the girl because you wanted your father's attention?"

Rei gave that adorable confused look again, "no..."

"Right," Minako checked her nails, "you saved her selflessly, so that makes you a hero. It's just in your favour that your father was proud of you. I would be proud to have a daughter who selflessly risks her life for another."

Rei blushed now and nodded slowly.

"You are a hero, Hino."

And then Rei grinned "and you're not a celebrity."

Minako grinned with her, "exactly."

Rei realised that it felt different when Minako called her a hero, it felt justified.

It felt flattering.

TBC


End file.
